GRE vs CAT
The GRE, GMAT or CAT, XAT, CMAT, SNAP, CET or MAT are ability testing standardized tests used for assessing an applicant’s ability to pursue an MBA degree either in India or abroad. These popular MBA entrance examination scores are used as crucial eligibility criteria by many business colleges and universities. Know more about two of the MBA entrance examinations, GRE and CAT and all you need to ponder before choosing GRE vs CAT.
What is GRE?
The Graduate Record Examination(GRE), owned and administered by Educational Testing Service, is one of the standardized tests that is an admission requirement for many graduate schools in the United States and Canada and few in other countries.
What is CAT
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a standardized test used in the assessment of applicants wishing to get admission to postgraduate management programs. It is conducted by the Indian Institute of Management which means it is only applicable for Indian business schools. However, a few universities abroad also accept CAT scores for admission into their MBA or MIM Business Management program. The Universities abroad that do not differentiate GRE vs CAT are:
- Asian Institute of Management-Washington Sycip Graduate school of Business, Manila-Philippines
- EDHEC Business School, Paris, France
GRE vs CAT: Differences
GRE vs CAT is one of the hot topics of discussion among students aspiring for an MBA. Here we break some common myths about GRE and CAT.
- While both GRE and CAT have a similar course structure and both assess an applicant’s suitability for business, GRE focuses on testing abilities of students for admission in MBA anywhere across the globe and CAT limits itself to business schools in India only. Many universities accept GRE scores instead of GMAT. Therefore, go through the criteria and eligibility section carefully.
- There GRE is conducted for 340 marks for 3 hours 45 minutes and CAT is for 300 marks for 3 hours.
- The validity of the GRE is 5 years whereas the validity of the CAT is only 1 year.
- GRE is conducted all round the year and CAT is conducted once a year.
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Difficulty level: GRE vs CAT
The Grade Record Examinations (GRE) and Common Admission Tests (CAT) are the two most popular tests for admission into business and management institutions. The syllabus for both tests is almost similar. What differentiates the tests are their difficulty level in different sections.
The tests are divided into three sections:
- Verbal ability / Reasoning
- Quantitative Aptitude
- Data interpretation / Analytical writing
While GRE vs CAT is not obvious in the verbal ability section, it becomes distinct in the quantitative reasoning section. The CAT asks tricky questions in this section as it tests the candidate’s problem-solving skills in some given environment.
GRE vs CAT: Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for GRE is quite liberal and does not require any specific qualification. However, the CAT requires a minimum of 50% in the undergrads.
GRE vs CAT: Syllabus
The CAT exam syllabus is conducted based on three main sections, i.e.
1. Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension
2. Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning
3. Quantitative Aptitude
Whereas the three sections of the GRE syllabus include:
1. Verbal Reasoning
2. Quantitative Aptitude
3. Analytical Writing
GRE vs CAT: Top business schools in India
Top business schools in India accepting CAT as one of the criteria include central Indian institutes like India Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi University and some other public and private business schools.
Business schools accepting CAT score
Here is a list of Business schools accepting CAT scores:
| Institute | Place | Fees (in lakhs) |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Ahmedabad | 23 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Bangalore | 23.20 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT | Lucknow | 19.25 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Indore | 16.50 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Kozhikode | 19 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Ranchi | 15.30 |
| RAJIV GANDHI INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Shillong | 15 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Trichy | 16.5 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Udaipur | 17.59 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Raipur | 14.21 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Kashipur | 14.75 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Visakhapatnam | 13.65 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Nagpur | 13.75 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Sirmaur | 11.75 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Amritsar | 12 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Rohtak | 16.65 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Bodhgaya | 11 |
| INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT (IIM) | Jammu | 13.80 |
FAQs
Is GRE tough?
While the syllabus for GRE and are almost similar, the difficulty level for the verbal reasoning of both GRE and CAT are at par with each other. However, there is a difference in the quantitative reasoning section and CAT asks tricky questions as it assesses an applicant’s problem-solving skills in a given environment.
How is GRE different from CAT?
The GRE is a standardized test used for MBA entrance to get admission to any business school around the globe whereas CAT is a standardized test used for MBA entrance in India only.
For how many years is GRE and CAT score valid?
The GRE score is valid for 5 years and the CAT score is valid for only a year.